Food

When is a wine sale not really a sale at all? One of our Southern California grocery stores just finished a 30 percent off sale. I only wanted one bottle, but as I looked at the so-called “regular” price before discount, I found myself shaking my head.

A new national study concludes that the rapidly growing South Bay beer industry — considered one of the county’s craft brewing hot spots — contributed thousands of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in wages to the economy last year.

Life seldom offers a more rewarding invitation than a cold beer on a hot summer day. Many of us have come to believe that the memorable phrase “dog days of summer,” a tagline baseball fans poetically recite across the United States, was concocted by the experience of a sweaty baseball writer under the unbearable heat of a July summer.

Brouwerij West, the full-production craft brewery taking shape in a World War II-era warehouse at the Port of Los Angeles, is gearing up to produce its first batches of beer by the end of the summer and open its doors to the public in the fall.

Everyone knows about wine tasting. It’s a perfect way to spend the day in the vineyards, a winery or favorite restaurant, relax and decide if you want to gamble on the entire bottle. But tasting events don’t stop with grapes.

Given the proliferation of cake-pops, flavored marshmallows and twists on the s’mores theme, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to turn popcorn on its head. And paint it pink, strew it with sprinkles and evoke the circus animal cookies of childhood.

The New York Times, chief tambourine shaker for East Coast elitism, has decided to stick its fingers into our guacamole. After all, what do we know about Mexican food? Times food columnist Melissa Clark recently published a recipe that calls for English peas to be added into a traditional guacamole dish.

Picking and reviewing wines might be a safer bet for me than picking the weather. Last week, I gave you a delightful summer wine only, to be greeted by clouds and drizzle. Do I take one more chance? I’ll wait another week.

All it took was a tiny red drop from the end of a toothpick for Maya Albert to realize she had made a mistake. The 28-year-old let out a high-pitched scream and slapped her hand over her mouth as a look of panic filled her watery wide eyes.

Lora Marie Taylor has broken through the wine glass ceiling, so to speak, but admits there’s still work to be done. The Valencia resident started pursuing her passion of winemaking in her garage when she wasn’t at work as a production accountant for the Bravo reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Lagunitas Brewing Co., a Petaluma-based craft beer brewer known for its stouts, IPAs and irreverent humor, is in the process of building a 178,000-square-foot brewery in Azusa that eventually will employ as many as 200 workers.

America is 239 years old, or is that America’s cholesterol? As we gather in groups large and small to celebrate our nation’s birthday, the backyard barbecue has had to shove over to make room for the deep fried fill-in-the-blank.

“Summertime, and the living is easy.” Well, maybe. Depending on your geographic location the dog days of summer are now upon you. Summer wines are defined as light, crispy, and fruitful, and generally lower in alcohol.

The New York Times sent out a tweet on Wednesday asking readers to put peas in guacamole. The backlash was fast and furious. President Barack Obama, presidential candidate Jeb Bush and Chipotle Mexican Grill were among the dissenters.

ROSEMEAD >> The city is close to getting its first farmers market after the City Council approved a proposal by Green Leaf Events Inc. at a recent council meeting. The weekly market would bring certified and non-certified farmers market vendors, food trucks, artisan booths and a children’s play area to the

ARCADIA >> An offering of culinary delights and live entertainment will kick off Friday at the 626 Night Market for those who prefer not to fire up a grill and deal with clean-up during Independence Day weekend.

Beer and barbecue go together for backyard dining like, well, wine and barbecue, say several Southern California chefs. While brews and barbecue are a summer staple, the fruit of the vine is an excellent way to wash down grilled foods.

Suffice it to say, the Founding Fathers probably weren’t thinking about future Americans’ celebratory dessert needs when they voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence in 1776. How fortuitous that the colors they chose to represent our fledgling nation coincide with the red and blue hues of summer’s berry bounty.

PATRIOTIC PALETAS Makes 24 2-ounce or 16 3-ounce ice pops Note: Freeze the flavors individually or layer them in the ice pop molds, letting each layer freeze for a couple of hours before adding the next.

Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica area EVENTS Smoke’s Poutinerie: Try a Canadian snack, poutine (the original with French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds or with additions), on Canada Day, July 1.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is often called the “King of the California Grape”. If you have followed me for the past two years, it isn’t news to you that Sonoma County has its share of quality wineries.

Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica area EVENTS National Lobster Day at Mastro’s restaurants: Lobster cocktail, lobster mashed potatoes and twin lobster tails are on the menu are two area locations: 5-11 p.

One of my all-time favorite wine sayings has to be, “It doesn’t matter if the glass is half empty or half full. There is clearly room for more wine.” I’m not sure who to give credit for that one, but it sure makes sense.

Trendy spots for frozen yogurt, acai bowls and the like might be the rage, but don’t count out a cool ice cream treat during warm summer months. A scoop or two of vanilla, chocolate or strawberry is always a classic way to go, but there’s more to ice cream in the Los Angeles area than these typical flavors.

It was an early Wednesday evening and only a few people were hanging out at Roxanne’s Cocktail Lounge in Long Beach. But just past the main bar, through a secret door, is a hidden lounge called The Exhibition Room.

Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica area EVENTS The Oinkster: The restaurant celebrates Burger Week with a one-day only creation from June 1-7. Also, the cupcake of the week, Over the Rainbow, with six colored layers of vanilla cake.